


Kill Em With Kindness

by caterinawrites



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Gen, Ladybug episode spoilers, Lila downfall, Revenge, adrien and marinette being petty, marinette and adrien being little shits, pettinette dupain-cheng, shadrien agreste, the adrinette team up we deserve if canon wasn't written by cowards, uncle jagged makes an appearance a couple times too
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-18
Updated: 2020-02-15
Packaged: 2020-10-20 21:24:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20682143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caterinawrites/pseuds/caterinawrites
Summary: Lila's web has grown too large, and Marinette and Adrien are tired of being tangled in the threads. Who ever said there was no strength in being kind?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, I've had this idea since around the time Chameleon came out, but I struggled with how to develop it because Adrien was all 'oh, we should just leave her alone' so I could never quite figure out how he would react to Marinette going through with all of these things and being obviously petty, but then Ladybug happened and I an opportunity laid itself at my feet so finally here is this!

Chapter 1

Marinette’s stomach churned as she flipped through the photos on her phone for the dozenth time. None of it made sense to her. Adrien knew Lila was a liar, so how had she weaseled her way into a photoshoot for Gabriel? Just when she was starting to think things were going back to normal.

“Marinette! You have a visitor!” Sabine called up the stairs, and she darkened her screen with a sigh.

“Coming,” she replied less than enthusiastically as she stood up, but to her surprise, two green eyes peeked up from her trap door.

“Can I come in?”

“A-Adrien?” She gasped, fumbling a little as he climbed up. “What are you doing here? N-Not that you can’t come here because you can come here whenever you want just I- what’s up?”

“Well, after everything that’s happened, I wanted to come see how you were doing, and I feel like I should explain myself. Can we talk?” He quirked a brow.

“Of course.” Marinette nodded, gesturing to the chaise which he sat on before leaning his elbows on his knees with a sigh.

“Okay, so I know you’ve probably seen the photoshoot, and I want you to know that it doesn’t mean I’m on her side- I’m not; quite the opposite, actually,” he said, flicking his gaze to her. “I feel like I should apologize to you. I used to think Lila’s lies were harmless, but she’s hurt the people I care about more than once, and that’s not okay.”

He laced his fingers together and rested his chin on them with a pensive frown.

“I’m not proud of it, but I couldn’t sit by and do nothing while she attacked you, so before our shoot I talked to her and forced her to fix everything so you could come back,” he explained. “I made her lie again, but it was to undo the damage she caused, so that’s not so bad, right?”

“You did that for me?” Marinette’s eyebrows raised.

“Of course,” he said with a small smile. “You’re my friend, and Lila crossed a line. I couldn’t standby and do nothing while she ruined your life.”

Marinette felt her cheeks flush under his warm gaze, and she bit her lip, reaching into her pocket to retrieve her lucky charm.

“Looks like my Adrien good-luck charm works,” she said, and Adrien perked up upon seeing it.

“I’m glad,” he said before retrieving his own. “We’ll be fine so long as we have each other.”

He took her hand, pressing the charms together between their palms then lowering his gaze with a frown.

“I wish we could do something about Lila. I don’t want her to hurt anyone else, but she’s so good at spinning the truth. There’s really no way for us to prove any of it,” he said glumly, and Marinette pursed her lips in thought.

“What if we don’t prove anything?” She asked, and when Adrien quirked a brow, she continued, “Lila lies with every breath, and she just bends the truth more when you try to question her, so what if instead of challenging her, we back her into a corner by playing along?”

“How so?” His eyes narrowed.

“It will be a lot of work, but with the two of us we could probably pull it off.” She tapped her chin. “So, Lila is always coming up with stories, illnesses, excuses, so what if we kept track of all of them and held her accountable? Like for her sprained wrist, we could give her a wrist brace that she has to wear, or since she was so worried about a napkin gouging out Max’s eye, we could put safety glasses in the cafeteria. This way it seems like we’re being nice and supportive to everyone else, but in reality we’ll be waiting for her lies to contradict each other- which they often do if you pay attention. Lila banks on other people’s obliviousness when she lies.”

“So, you want to get back at her by being nice?” He tilted his head to one side.

“It’s called kill em with kindness.” Marinette smirked, and Adrien faced her with a grin.

“That’s wonderfully devious of you, Marinette,” he complimented, “and I think it’s just what we need.”

“I don’t take lightly to people lying to my friends,” she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

“I know. I shouldn’t have insisted on ignoring her before. I feel like everything is my fault,” he said, lowering his gaze to his feet, and Marinette reached out to place a hand on his shoulder.

“It isn’t your fault that Lila is a liar, Adrien. You were just trying to be the bigger person, but unfortunately for us, Lila is a special kind of despicable,” she assured him. “But so long as we have each other then she can’t win.”

“You’re right. Thanks, Marinette.” He pulled her in for a hug, and her cheeks grew hot. “So, where should we start?”

“Well,” Marinette started, tapping her chin. “Here’s what I’m thinking.”

***

The following day everyone was buzzing about the photoshoot as expected, but Adrien only felt calm as he walked past his schoolmates. Lila was good. So good that she’d even fooled his father, but he wasn’t going to stand for her lies anymore. It was time to burn down Lila’s web once and for all.

“Adrien and I just have such a natural chemistry,” Lila was saying as he approached their group.

“Hey, Adrien, great photoshoot. You and Lila totally rocked,” Alya said with a grin.

“Thanks, Alya. My photographer is really good at giving direction during our shoots. _Anyone_ can model if he’s behind the camera.” Adrien gave a modest shrug, shooting a pointed look at Lila.

“It was amazing getting to work with you, Adrien,” she said with that saccharine fakeness she was so good at, but Adrien’s attention was soon diverted as Marinette walked through the front doors.

“Marinette!” He called, waving her over before rushing to meet her halfway with everyone else.

“Welcome back, Marinette!”

“We knew it was all a misunderstanding.”

“Yeah, you’d never do any of those things.”

Adrien cut through the crowd, gaze fixed on her with a bright smile, and he pulled her into a warm hug.

“I’m so happy you’re back here where you belong, Marinette. How could anyone ever believe you’d do such horrible things?” He said, rocking her back and forth. “It’s absolutely ridiculous. You’re so caring and trustworthy and genuinely kind. There’s no way you could have ever done those things.”

“Yeah, you’re like the last person on Earth to cheat or intentionally hurt someone, girl,” Alya agreed.

“I’m really sorry for any trouble my disease caused you, Marinette,” Lila said, clasping her hands together in front of her and curling her shoulders. “I hope you don’t hate me.”

“Not at all, Lila,” Marinette said with a gentleness that made Lila’s head snap up. “In fact, I brought you a brace for your knee. It was really horrific seeing you fall down the stairs, and I wanted to make sure you were okay. Knee injuries can be so delicate; you should probably take it easy for a while. Such a shame too since we were all planning to go swimming tomorrow and now you can’t come.”

“Yeah…” Lila eyed the brace in Marinette’s outstretched hand and the friendly smile on her face in confusion before taking it. “Thank you.”

“You’re so welcome, Lila. I hope you and I can put this whole thing behind us,” Marinette said, and their classmates cooed adoringly.

“Wow, Marinette, you really are amazing,” Max said.

“Isn’t she just the best?” Adrien added with a nod.

“I’m just trying to mend these bridges. I think Lila and I just got off on the wrong foot because of a misunderstanding. I hope from now on that we can be friends,” Marinette said, holding out a hand in good faith, and Lila flicked her gaze around to all of her classmates’ expectant faces.

“Of course, Marinette. I’d be happy to be your friend.” She smiled before shaking her hand.

“I’m glad.” Marinette perked up as the bell rang, and their group dispersed.

Lila shot her a skeptical glare, but Marinette simply smiled sweetly.

“I don’t know what you’re plotting, but just know that it’s never going to work,” Lila hissed in her ear, and Marinette pulled back innocently.

“I don’t know what you mean, Lila. I’m just trying to be _nice_,” she said before following after everyone.

Adrien fell into step beside her as they walked, biting back a smug grin.

“Phase one complete,” he murmured under his breath, and a smirk curled on Marinette’s lips.

“Onto phase two.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let the games begin ;)


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

“You know, when you made these plans with Adrien, I thought you meant to be nice,” Tikki said chidingly in the bathroom as Marinette washed her hands several days later.

“I am being nice,” Marinette said with an innocent pout.

“You put a ‘Coping with loss’ book on Lila’s desk yesterday.”

“She said her hamster died.”

“And the safety glasses by the napkins in the cafeteria?” Tikki cocked a brow.

“Max was worried about losing an eye.”

“You did your science presentation on tinnitus.”

“Well, after the music festival with Juleka’s mom, I was worried about our hearing.” Marinette snatched a paper towel from the dispenser and dried her hands.

“Your history report on the greatest liars and cheats in history?”

“I became fascinated with P.T. Barnum’s life after that movie and finishing with a comparison of Volpina and Rena Rouge was just a modern-day example everyone could identify with.” Tikki gave her a look. “I got a standing ovation for that presentation.”

“What about the fact-checking robot you petitioned Max to make?”

“_For Alya_ for her birthday! I’m just trying to help her become a better journalist because I’m a good friend.” Marinette placed her hands on her hips haughtily.

“Speaking of Alya, you’ve been telling her to just hang out with Nino lately.”

“She said she wanted to spend more time with him. I’m just being supportive of their relationship,” she shrugged.

“Marinette,” Tikki sighed.

“What? We can’t expose Lila, so we’re just playing along until she inevitably exposes herself which I will watch probably with popcorn,” Marinette said with a laugh. “It’s called kill em with kindness.”

“It’s called being petty.”

“Semantics,” Marinette waved it away, but Tikki was unamused. “Look, I can’t beat Lila at lies. She just makes more, so I’ve come up with another plan that doesn’t harm anyone and keeps everyone from getting mad at me for calling her out. I mean, you saw what happened the other day when she got me expelled. Scarlet Moth almost made a comeback, and I was on the frontlines.”

“I guess we can’t let that happen again…” Tikki reasoned, tapping her chin.

“Exactly. Lila wants everyone to believe those things, so I’m just gonna let her keep falling down the rabbit hole until she eventually hits the bottom,” Marinette said with a twisted grin. “If I happen to push her a little deeper along the way then so be it.”

“That’s very underhanded of you, Marinette.”

“I don’t like it when people use my friends and threaten me.” Marinette clenched her fists. “She almost got me akumatized multiple times now, and we can’t ever let that happen.”

“You’re right. Just be careful,” Tikki advised.

“Don’t worry, Tikki. Coming up with solutions is my superpower.” She winked as her phone buzzed in her pocket with an akuma alert. “Speaking of, we have a city to save. Tikki, transform me!”

***

“Ladybug!” Alya waved her down after the battle, brandishing her cell phone. “Do you have time for a quick interview?”

“A little,” she said with a shrug. “Make it quick.”

“Okay, okay, many of my viewers want to know what advice you have to help people stay positive to avoid being akumatized,” Alya began, pressing record.

“Well, I would recommend changing your perspective a little. Instead of being bummed out about failing a test, maybe commit to studying harder next time. If you get into a fight with your friends, just take a deep breath and remember that if they’re your real friends, they’ll forgive you.” Ladybug replied, placing her hands on her hips. “And if you do get akumatized, don’t make a big deal out of it. Chat Noir and I will always be there to save you. Negative emotions are a part of life just like positive ones, and everyone can have a bad day, even me.”

“Next question, with the passing of Hero’s Day, my viewers want to know what they can do to help you and Chat Noir.”

“Just do your best every day. Lift each other up instead of tearing each other down and do your best to help others who need it,” she said with a smile.

“My friend Marinette is like that, always helping others and helping us stay positive,” Alya remarked, and Ladybug bit back a smirk.

“I think I’ve met her a few times. She’s alerted me of a few akumas here and there.” She tapped her chin with a coy smile. “Not everyone has superpowers like me and Chat Noir, but there are a lot of ways to help out in your school, in your community, or even in your own home just like your friend. I think that everyone should strive to be a Marinette.”

She pressed a hand to her earrings as they beeped and palmed her yoyo, flashing Alya a peace sign. “Gotta go before I change back.”

“Thank you for your time, Ladybug!” Alya bounced on her heels, clutching her phone to her chest as Ladybug tossed her yoyo over the roof.

“Bug out!”

***

When Lila walked through the doors of the library that afternoon, she stopped short when her eyes locked with Marinette’s sitting at the table with Max. They held that same taunting innocence that made Lila’s blood boil, and she knew this was another one of her “nice” schemes.

“Oh, Lila, there you are,” she greeted with a smile, and Lila did her best to suppress an eye roll. “You haven’t been doing so well in class, so I’ve asked everyone to pitch in helping you catch up. Max is here to help you with your maths and science, Rose has agreed to help you with Literature, Sabrina can help you out with history, and then Nathaniel said he would be more than happy to help you with the art project we have due next week.”

“Oh, that’s not necessary. Adrien agreed to help me,” Lila said, waving it away. “He should be here any minute.”

“Actually, he had a pop-up fencing lesson with Kagami this afternoon. She insisted because her mother is so hard on her to improve her technique, and Adrien is the only opponent who challenges her enough, so he just couldn’t say no,” Marinette explained.

“Adrien does score well across the board on all of his exams; however, his schedule guarantees an 87.96% chance that you won’t get sufficient help in order to pull your grades up in time, so Marinette reached out to the rest of us to step in on his behalf so you don’t fail the semester,” Max stated, and Marinette smiled sweetly beside him.

“As class representative, I’m just looking out for the needs of everyone,” she said, standing up. “Thanks again for your help, Max.”

“No problem, Marinette.” Max waved it away. “Oh, and I will have prototype designs for that software you asked me for later this week.”

“Awesome! You’re the best, Max!” Marinette clasped her hands together cheerfully. “Good luck, Lila, and let me know if you need any more help.”

Lila offered her a forced smile before her face fell into a scowl.

“Have fun at movie night!” Max called, waving as she left.

“Movie night?” Lila quirked a brow.

“Yes, many of our classmates are convening to watch movies at Kim’s house this evening, but seeing as it’s a movie I’ve already seen, I agreed to help you catch up on your studies tonight instead,” Max explained, pulling out his textbooks. “I’ve assembled 100 maths problems for us to work covering each section of material that you missed while you were traveling then I have a PowerPoint reviewing over our particle physics unit from last term-”

Lila glared at the door Marinette had gone through, gripping her pencil with white knuckles. She wasn’t quite sure what game Marinette was playing with her, but she was definitely up to something. No matter, she wasn’t about to be defeated so easily. After all, she had Gabriel Agreste on her side.

***

“How did Lila react to Max?” Adrien asked as Marinette grabbed a juice from the snack table.

“She looked half ready to strangle me,” Marinette replied, popping the tab and taking a sip.

“There isn’t going to be a lot I can do if my father decides to use her in photoshoots again, but I’ll help you in any way that I can outside of that,” he said, grabbing a cookie.

“What are you two whispering about?” Alya asked with a smirk, and they both stiffened.

“Uh, I was just asking Marinette if she wanted to sit with me during the movie,” Adrien said, nudging Marinette with his elbow.

“Y-Yeah, I- of course. You don’t mind, do you, Alya?” Marinette fumbled, and her friend gave a proud beam.

“Not at all. I was actually on my way to tell you that I want to sit with Nino.” She winked.

“Great. Then it’s settled.” Adrien waved as they moved to their bean bags.

“How did she sneak past your father anyway? I thought he was some impenetrable wall?” She asked, and Adrien threw his head back with a sigh.

“Your guess is as good as mine. Is it wrong I kind of wish she’d teach me?” He chuckled, popping a popcorn kernel into his mouth.

“Your dad let you come to this, didn’t he?” Marinette pointed out, but Adrien averted his gaze guiltily.

“I’m technically supposed to be meeting with my Chinese tutor right now, but I may have told him I lost my voice while also telling Gorilla that this was his address,” Adrien admitted, tapping his chin with an impish grin.

“Sneaky,” Marinette complimented, but he curled his shoulders.

“I feel kind of bad disobeying him, but all I want to do is see my friends. What’s so wrong with that?” He shrugged, and Marinette offered him a smile.

“Nothing, and I’m sure your dad will come around eventually,” she said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Thanks, Marinette. I really hope so.” He smiled weakly, his gaze softening on her. “You really are the kindest girl at school. Lila won’t know what hit her.”

Marinette bit back a smile, cheeks pink and heart pounding.

“Ya know, Adrien, maybe if your dad ever allows it we could-”

“Lila, Max, you made it!” Kim called, and Marinette felt her blood run cold.

“I’m a _really_ fast learner,” Lila said, shooting Marinette a pointed glare, and her jaw clenched as Nathalie entered through the doorway beside her. “Oh, Adrien, I ran into Nathalie on the way over. She was worried about where you were, so I told her we could check here for you.”

“Adrien, you’re supposed to be at Chinese right now,” Nathalie scolded, and Adrien stiffened, face falling. “If you come now, I won’t tell your father about this.”

“Yes, Nathalie,” he said glumly, shooting Marinette an apologetic wince. “I’ll see you at school.”

“I’m sorry, Adrien. I didn’t realize you’d get in trouble.” Lila winced, pressing a hand to her lips in an ‘oops’ manner. “Nathalie said your father was worried.”

“It’s okay, Lila. It’s my fault,” Adrien said as he passed, head hung low as he made his way out with Nathalie.

When the door closed behind them, Lila curled her shoulders and turned to everyone with a pout.

“I’m sorry. I feel like I ruined everything. I didn’t realize that Adrien was here without permission,” she said, covering her face.

“Don’t sweat it, Lila. You didn’t know,” Nino assured her, and she peeked over her hands.

“I hope he doesn’t get into too much trouble,” she fretted, but Nino waved it away.

“Nah, Nathalie totally sticks up for him. If she says she won’t tell, then she won’t,” he said, and Lila relaxed a little.

“That’s a relief,” she sighed.

“Well, since Adrien had to bounce, why don’t you take his seat next to Marinette? You two have been getting along so great lately,” Alya suggested, pointing to the empty beanbag beside Marinette, and Lila flicked her gaze to meet Marinette’s with a grin.

“Do you mind, Marinette?” She asked, a challenging glint in her eye as if to say, ‘your move.’

“Not at all.” Marinette smiled sweetly as Lila paced over to sit down, and her phone buzzed in her pocket with a text from Adrien.

_Well, looks like we have our work cut out for us._

Marinette glanced at Lila out of the corner of her eye, chatting with Rose about Kitty Section before typing a quick reply.

_So it would seem._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so pleased that so many of you are excited about this story! I have big plans for it, and I recently found my old plans for it including the ending I'd forgotten about, and I cackled all over again when I remembered what I want to do with it. I think you'll all be satisfied in the end. Hopefully. >:)  
As for right now, Lila wasn't going to lie down and take it so easily, now was she? You guys will just have to wait and see what they have planned next! ;)  
The first scene (and really this fic in general) was inspired by a post lenoreofraven made on tumblr shortly after Chameleon aired, so thank her for this existing!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

“Knock, knock!”

Marinette paused her sewing, a wicked smile curling on her lips as Adrien climbed up carrying a plate of warm cookies.

“From your dad,” he said, holding them up before setting them on her desk and pulling up a chair. “How’s your Ladybug sweater coming along?”

“Great! I was just sewing up the seams now,” she said, smoothing over the red and black sweater that read ‘Ladybug’s bff’ on the front. “With her compromised immune system, I’d hate for Lila to catch a cold from the chilly weather in London on our field trip this week.”

“Wouldn’t that be a shame?” Adrien agreed, cupping a hand to his cheek. “Well, I successfully got Mr. D’Argencourt to give her some one-on-one time to make up her PE grade. He made sure she paced herself and didn’t put too much stress on that bad ankle of hers. It’s a shame she didn’t finish in time to get ice cream with all of us.”

“Well, school is important. We don’t want her to fail the term, do we?” Marinette said with an overly sarcastic tone.

“Of course not! That would just be awful.” He nodded, and they both broke into a fit of giggles. “By the way, I have some good news.”

“Oh?” Marinette quirked a brow, grabbing a cookie.

“Guess when Lila’s birthday is?” Adrien smirked, and she pursed her lips.

“Dunno, when?”

“Some time in August, but guess what I overheard her telling Marc when he asked her to beta read their next comic since she’s _such_ good friends with Ladybug?” He rolled his eyes. “She said she can’t help him because she’s going to Achu with her mother this weekend to celebrate her birthday.”

“But it’s only March,” Marinette said, eyes narrowing. “That brat totally blew them off.”

“Yeah, but it gives me an idea,” he said, tapping his chin. “Okay, so you know how we all planned a big surprise party for you this year?”

“How can I forget? My grandmother got akumatized,” Marinette said pointedly.

“Well, what if we threw Lila a party this Friday before she ‘leaves’ to go to Achu?” He suggested, and Marinette tilted her head to the side in thought.

“What if we centered it around all of her lies? We could have tons of recycle bins for her anti-pollution campaign, we can have the local shelter bring out a bunch of adoptable animals since she loves volunteering, and we can even get Jagged to send a bunch of signed posters for everyone,” Marinette said.

“You’re a despicable genius, Marinette. I’m a little scared.” Adrien eyed her with a smirk, and she turned her nose up.

“Lila had it coming. She did get me expelled,” she said with a defensive huff.

“Not arguing with that. I just hope I never get on your bad side,” he chuckled. “So, what’s our first move?”

“First, we plant the bait for everyone, then we set the trap for Lila. Alya and Mylene volunteer at the animal shelter frequently, so I’m sure they can handle that, and Sabrina’s dad has an in with the city for the recycling bins,” Marinette listed.

“What about Jagged?” Adrien asked, and a sly grin curled on her lips.

“Leave Jagged to me.”

***

“Hello, Penny,” Marinette greeted the following afternoon outside Jagged’s suite.

“Marinette, it’s good to see you, but what are you doing here?” Penny tilted her head to the side.

“Did you say Marinette’s here? Rock on! Let her in,” Jagged called from the grand piano in the middle of the room. “Yo, Marinette, you have to check this new song I’m working on.”

Penny blinked in confusion but stepped aside nonetheless, and Marinette entered with an appreciative smile. Jagged perked up upon seeing her and scooted over to make room for her on the bench.

“What brings you by, Marinette?” He asked, plucking out a melody on the keys.

“I kind of need a favor, if you don’t mind,” she said with a wince.

“Ay, of course. You can ask your ole Uncle Jagged for favors any time,” he said with a grin. “Just tell me what’s on your mind.”

“Well, there’s this girl at my school, and she’s kind of a huge liar-”

“Ugh, I hate liars. I dated a liar once. Great kisser, but he always needed attention. So annoying.” He wrinkled his nose.

“Tell me about it, except this girl is a bit more than just annoying. I called her out for lying a few times, but she always spins things back on me, and now we’re sworn enemies, and she has it out for me,” Marinette said, and Jagged paused his playing.

“D’you want me to feed her to Fang?” Jagged offered, and Marinette considered it a moment.

“Nah, I wouldn’t want to make him sick.” She shook her head. “But me and another friend who knows about her have been plotting a bit of revenge against her since she got me expelled recently.”

“She got you _expelled_?” Jagged’s fingers slammed onto keys, filling the room with a discordant harmony.

“Yeah. My friend made her fix it in the end, but now we’re done with her lying and manipulating everyone, so we have a plan,” Marinette said before giving him the run down.

“Wow. This is all very high road yet secretly low road of you, Marinette. Rock on!” Jagged smirked, offering a fist for her to bump. “I will totally help you.”

“Thanks, Jagged!” Marinette hugged his chest.

“Anything for my favorite little lady,” he said, giving her a noogie. “But I’ve gotta say, I feel like we can do better than posters. This girl almost ruined your reputation.”

“What do you have in mind?” Marinette tilted her head to the side.

“Well…”

***

“She’s coming!” Nathaniel called, running through the park entrance, and everyone took their places.

“I can’t believe we pulled this off,” Adrien said to Marinette. “I can’t wait to see the look on her face.”

“She’s going to lose her mind.” Marinette winked.

Alya led Lila into the park blindfolded just as she had done for Marinette so many weeks prior only this time, Lila had no idea what to expect.

“Surprise!” Everyone shouted when she removed the blindfold, and Lila’s jaw dropped in confusion and disbelief.

“What’s all this?” She asked with a nervous laugh.

“It’s for your birthday,” Nathaniel said as if it were obvious.

“Yeah, you’re going to Achu tomorrow, so we wanted to celebrate today,” Alya explained, and Marinette saw the gears click.

“Oh, you guys! You didn’t have to,” she said modestly.

“You’re our bud, and you do so much for the world. We wanted to make sure you had a great bday,” Nino said, wrapping an arm around Alya’s shoulders.

“You guys are too sweet. Thank you.” Lila placed a hand over her heart.

“Thank Marinette and Adrien. They orchestrated all of this,” Alya said, and they waved to her with cheery grins which she met with a brief hint of skepticism that she morphed into a smile of her own.

“We made sure to celebrate all of your achievements,” Adrien said, gesturing to their spread. “We had the city bring in recycling bins to cut back on the garbage, and all of the party decorations are made from recycled materials.”

“We also asked a local shelter to bring by some adoptable animals for us to socialize,” Alya said, pointing to the pins of dogs across the sidewalk. “And finally, Marinette has a super epic surprise!”

Lila flicked her gaze to Marinette, her eyes narrowing under that elastic smile.

“It was no big deal, really,” Marinette said without averting her gaze. “He absolutely jumped at the opportunity when I told him it was for you.”

“Yo, Lila! Long time no see, huh?”

Lila blanched a little as Jagged approached with Penny and Fang in tow, and Marinette crossed her arms over her chest with a smirk.

“Thanks for coming, Jagged,” she said sweetly.

“Of course. Anything for my two favorite ladies.” Jagged pulled them both in for a hug. “I’d love to personally give all of your little friends autographs, and Marinette even agreed to help me sing your favorite song of mine. You know, the one I wrote for you, Lila.”

“Uh, yeah, that’s so generous of both of you, but you don’t have to do that,” Lila said, holding up cautioning hands.

“Why not?” Adrien asked, shoving his hands in his pockets as everyone gave her similarly perplexed looks.

“Uh, I have a headache, so loud noises probably aren’t the best,” she said, and Marinette and Adrien exchanged looks.

“Oh, is your tinnitus coming back? I have an ear plug, and I’ve started carrying around painkillers just in case you ever need it,” Marinette said, reaching into her purse, and Lila stared down at the items in her hand blankly.

“Wow, Marinette. You sure think of _everything_, don’t you?” Lila said through gritted teeth.

“She’s so detail-oriented. It’s what makes her such a good designer. That’s why she’s one of my favorite little rockers. Second only to you, of course, Lila,” Jagged said.

“I’m just doing my part. We can’t all save African villages, but we can be there for each other,” Marinette said, clasping her hands together with an innocent beam. “I just wanted to make sure my amazing friend had a great birthday.”

“So thoughtful of you,” Lila cooed, though Marinette could see the rage burning behind her smile.

“Alright then, who wants an autograph?” Jagged asked, holding up a pen, and their classmates all crowded around him.

Marinette and Adrien stood back on either side of Lila with impish grins.

“I don’t know what you two are planning, but you’d better tread carefully,” Lila said under her breath.

“What’s the matter, Lila?” Marinette asked.

“Isn’t this what you’ve always wanted?” Adrien added, and Lila’s eyes narrowed.

“Drop the act. I’m not an idiot, and if either one of you even _thinks _about starting anything-”

“Gosh, I didn’t realize inviting Jagged was going to upset you so much. I thought you two were good _friends_,” Marinette said, pressing a hand to her lips.

“I’m serious, you two. Call off the song, or else,” Lila said, shifting her gaze between them. “I’m not dumb. I know you’re going to get Jagged to diss me in front of everyone.”

“You really think we’d do such a thing?” Marinette gasped, and Lila rolled her eyes.

“I haven’t bought your whole nice act from the moment it started, but if you threaten me, I can get you kicked out of Paris for _good_,” Lila growled.

“That seems like an unkind thing to do to a _friend_. Marinette worked really hard to put all of this together, Lila,” Adrien said with a warning tone, wrapping an arm around Marinette’s shoulders as her face fell.

“No, it’s okay. Lila doesn’t want us to sing, so we won’t. It’s her birthday after all,” Marinette said. “I’ll let everyone know.”

Lila and Adrien watched her join the crowd before Lila turned to him with a scowl.

“I don’t know what you two are up to-”

“We’re just trying to be your friends, Lila,” Adrien cut her off.

Lila glared up at him, jaw clenching, and his face hardened for one brief moment.

“But you might wanna tread carefully,” he said, giving her a pointed look before a smile broke over his lips again, and he patted her shoulder. “Happy Birthday, _Lila_.”

“Oh, your throat is sore?” Alya was saying when they joined the group.

“Yeah, just a tickle, but I’d hate to ruin the performance,” Marinette said with a frown. “But maybe it’s for the best. Lila has a headache still, and when I told her about it, she was totally cool with putting it off for another day.”

“It’s a shame. We must have worked too hard rehearsing it last night,” Jagged said. “Hey, here’s a thought. Why don’t you all come to my concert tomorrow? You can rest your chops tonight and perform with me tomorrow. All of your friends can come.”

“Wow, really?” Marinette perked up.

“Of course! I want to rock out with you for sure,” Jagged said, ruffling her hair.

“Oh, but Lila’s going to Achu tomorrow,” Marinette said, deflating again. “She won’t be able to make it.”

“Don’t worry, love. Lila gets to go to my concerts all the time. She won’t be too upset missing one chance to come _backstage_ with everyone. Isn’t that right, Lila?” Jagged gave her a look, and Lila’s spine stiffened.

“Uh, yeah. I get to sing with you all the time. It’s no biggie,” she said, and Jagged patted Marinette’s shoulder.

“See? She’s cool with it, so whaddya say? Wanna rock out with your Uncle Jagged?” He asked.

“If it’s really alright then…okay!” Marinette perked up, and all of their classmates crowded around her excitedly.

Lila crossed her arms over her chest as everyone broke off to enjoy the rest of the party. Marinette may have won this battle, but Lila didn’t intend to lose the war. She wouldn’t be so easily fooled next time.

“Ya know.” She jumped a little as Jagged draped an arm over her shoulder. “Marinette told me everything, and if it were me, I would have totally asked me to call you out in front of all your little friends today, but she didn’t.”

Lila averted her gaze.

“Marinette is one amazing little chick, and she’s like family to me. If anyone ever hurts her, they’ll have me to answer to, and they’ll learn that I’m not so nice,” Jagged said. “Just a little something for you to keep in mind. Because she’s _miraculous, simply the best, up to the test when things go wrong_\- hey, ya know, now I could make a song out of that.”

He patted her shoulder before pacing over to join Marinette and Adrien, and Lila closed her shaking hands into fists. If this was the game they wanted to play then fine, but they were about to learn what a formidable foe she could be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beep boop I'm back with this one~ I've been really into my fake dating au for a while, so this one got put on the back burner, but it's back with an update! I'm only a couple chapters away from finishing the fake dating au, so once it's finished I'll get back on this one more regularly.   
But Uncle Jagged has entered the battle! It's gonna be fun seeing how he spices things up ;) He and Adrien are very protective of their precious bean, but Lila will eventually get her back, though Marinette is going to be the ultimate victor, obvs. I just can't wait to show you all what Marinette has cooking. XD


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

“So,” Jagged said a few weeks later, dropping onto the couch. Marinette sat scratching Fang under the chin, and the croc melted under her touch. “How are things with little miss liar?”

“Going well. We’ve successfully blocked her from going to the movies with us and from attending a party Nino threw,” Marinette said. “And I got her to wear a medical boot for a week because she claimed she hurt her foot to get out of gym class.”

“Is that all?” He laughed, and Marinette’s eyebrows knitted together.

“Well, yeah. That’s our plan. To keep inconveniencing her with her lies,” Marinette said, and Jagged sat forward, shaking his head.

“If you really want to get to this girl, you’re going to have to do better or else she’s going to learn your game and start fighting back,” Jagged said pointedly, and Marinette pursed her lips.

“I guess you’re right, but we don’t know what else to do without stooping to her level,” she said, lowering her gaze, and Jagged placed a hand on her shoulder with a smirk.

“You’re forgetting one very important thing, love. You’ve got something that this girl doesn’t: Your Uncle Jagged.” He jutted his thumb to his chest and waggled his eyebrows. “And he’s about to show you how to seek some good old-fashioned revenge.”

***

“Marinette? Is that you?”

Marinette sat up, lowering her sunglasses to peer up at Alya, Nino, and their siblings. She rolled onto her side, digging her toes into the hot sand as kids and teens scoured the banks of the Seine for the perfect spot to enjoy the beach.

“Oh, hey, guys! I’ve saved a spot for all of us,” she said, gesturing to the open area.

“Great, thanks. You’re amazing, but quick question, is than an alligator next to you?” Alya pointed to Fang sunning himself beside her.

“It’s a crocodile! You should know that cuz you’re a grown up!” Chris corrected, crossing his arms over his chest, and Alya rolled her eyes.

“This is Fang. Jagged is performing tonight in Berlin, so he’s busy doing show prep, and he really didn’t want Fang to miss the beach in Paris, so he asked if I could watch him today,” Marinette said, giving Fang’s belly a rub.

“And you said yes?” Nino quirked a brow.

“Of course! Fang is such a sweetheart, aren’t you?” She cooed, patting his scales affectionate. “He just wants to soak up the sun like all of us.”

“Can’t argue with that I guess,” Alya said as the kids crowded around to pet him.

“Marinette, hey!” Adrien called, and the rest of the class followed closed behind. “Thanks for scoping out this awesome spot.”

“It was no problem. I came early so Fang could enjoy the beach as much as he wanted today,” she said with a smile.

“Whoa, is that Jagged Stone’s crocodile?” Kim asked.

“Yep.” Marinette smirked.

“Whoa, Jagged really trusted you with his crocodile for a day?” Alix asked in disbelief, and Marinette winked over her sunglasses.

“That’s awesome!” Kim grinned, dropping his bag and rushing over to join the kids. “Hey, Lila, do you ever get to babysit Fang since you and Jagged are so close?”

The girl who had all but blended into the back of the crowd upon seeing the crocodile stiffened as everyone turned to her, but she was a natural, so it didn’t frazzle her for long. “Oh, yeah. All the time. Jagged trusts me so much.”

“Yeah, he tried to call you about today, but you’re always so busy, so I told him my schedule was clear,” Marinette said.

“Oh, that’s understandable,” Nathaniel nodded.

“Alright, well, let’s set up the volleyball net. I want a rematch with Alix!” Kim said, shooting her a playful glare.

“We can rematch all you want, but you’re still going down!”

Marinette smiled as her classmates all settled into their niches, Marc applying gobs of sunscreen to Nathaiel, Juleka and Rose setting up an umbrella, Nino and Alya helping the kids with a sandcastle. Lila picked a spot as far away from Fang as possible, which was fine because it left the spot next to Marinette wide open for Adrien to drop his bag.

“Do you mind if I sit with you?” He asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Of course,” she said, cheeks pink from more than just the heat.

“I can’t believe Jagged actually loaned you Fang for the day,” he said, lowering his voice and glancing around at the class to ensure they weren’t close enough to overhear. “I mean, it’s so crazy that he wants to help.”

“Well, the part about a show in Berlin and Fang wanting to go to the beach are true. I get along with Fang so well that it wasn’t a big deal,” Marinette said with a shrug. “But Jagged told me that in order to really pull the plug on Lila, I need to start using my own connections.”

“Hmm…” Adrien tapped his chin. “Ya know, between the two of us, we can probably work our way around pretty easily.”

“Lila has lied about a lot of famous people,” Marinette pointed out, and a smile curled on Adrien’s lips. “What?”

“Do you want Clara Nightingale’s number?”

***

“Don’t be bemused, it’s just the news, and welcome back to Side-by-Side. I’m your host Nadja Shamack, and I’m joined today by teen fashion model and face of Gabriel Agreste brand, Adrien Agreste!” Nadja declared with every ounce of a reporter’s camera enthusiasm. “Thank you so much for agreeing to come on the show today, Adrien. How are you tonight?”

“I’m doing quite well. Thank you for having me, Nadja,” Adrien replied, leaning back on the couch casually.

“Glad to hear it! We’ve got quite the scoop for you all tonight because you have been quite the busy bee lately,” Nadja said, shooting him a knowing smile. “You star in the animated Miraculous movie voicing Chat Noir. You just had a new spread for Gabriel’s summer line come out, so how do you unwind after a long day of being a famous teen model and voice actor?”

“Well, Nadja, there are a number of ways, but I love spending time with my friends the most. We actually just went to the beach recently while it’s set up here in Paris,” he said, and Nadja jumped at the opportunity.

“Yes, tell us about that.”

“So, my school friends and I all decided to hit the beach together, and it was a lot of fun. We played volleyball, built sandcastles, ate lots of ice cream-”

“You did have some ice cream, didn’t you, and there have been a lot of rumors flying around because a lot of people happened to notice you spending a lot of time with a fellow classmate in particular,” Nadja said with a smirk as a picture flashed on the screen of Adrien and Marinette smiling over ice cream on the beach. “Lots of people are speculating about the two of you online especially after you posted this to your Instagram.” The image changed to Adrien’s post with Marinette and Clara at the spa. “What can you tell us about your relationship with Marinette Dupain-Cheng? Any rumors you’d like to clear up?”

“Certainly,” Adrien said with a laugh. “Marinette is a good friend of mine. She’s super talented and a really gifted creator. She actually made the swimsuit and hat she wore to the beach which is way awesome, and it was really cool because she and Jagged Stone are very close – he views her as family – and she was actually babysitting Fang at the beach for him while he was performing in Berlin, so we got to hang out with a crocodile all day which was cool.”

“Was he well behaved?” Nadja asked.

“Very,” Adrien chuckled.

“Now, you say that Marinette is a good friend, but is she a good friend, or a _good_ friend?” Nadja quirked a brow, and Adrien sat back with a laugh.

“Just a good friend,” he said.

“A good friend that you take to the spa with Clara Nightingale?” Nadja said pointedly, and Adrien bit back a laugh.

“As I said, Marinette is super talented, and she has invited me to hang out with her and Jagged a few times lately, so while we were at the beach, we were talking about how stressed we are since she keeps pretty busy herself, and I normally go to the spa every other week because when you’re a teen model, facials are a must.” He paused to gesture to his glowing skin.

“So, anyway, I invited her to come along, and sometimes when Clara is in Paris, I invite her to come along too because she loves that spa and always goes whenever she’s in Paris anyway, and Clara loves Marinette, she actually wanted her to play Ladybug in her music video until they changed ideas, and she happened to be coming to Paris around the same time, so I text her to see if she wanted to tag along, and she did. So, we all went and hung out and had an awesome time.” He shrugged at the end as if it were no big deal.

“So, there is nothing romantic between you two?” Nadja asked, and Adrien shook his head.

“No, but she and I are great friends, and she is doing really amazing things for herself. I felt like I was the least accomplished person hanging out in the spa that day,” he chuckled. “Maybe sometime soon you’ll have her on the show talking about her fashion line. I think she’s absolutely going to kill it.”

“I look forward to it,” Nadja said. “And since you two are just friends, teen girls in Paris can sleep tonight?”

“Yes, please get some sleep,” Adrien laughed, and Nadja turned to the camera with a smile.

“You heard it here first folks. Adrien Agreste is still single,” she said. “After the break, we’ll talk more about Adrien’s role in the Miraculous animated movie, so stay tuned, and we’ll be right back!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Several of you wanted more of Adrien being actively petty and involved, so here is a little set-up for next chapter. ;) Happy belated Valentine's Day! Because nothing says romantic like petty revenge.
> 
> Edit 10/11/2020: A lot of people have been asking when this fic will update, so I wanted to give you all a little info. I am still working on and intending to finish this fic, BUT I have been taking a break from the fandom for quite some time for personal reasons. I am currently working on the next chapter of this, but I have decided for several of my existing wips that I will not update them again until they are finished. This fic has about 3 more chapters in it. I'm not sure how quickly I will get through those chapters as the one I've been working on (the next one after this) has taken me over a month (granted I was on vacation for a portion of that but still). I will be finishing this fic, but I wanted to warn you all that it may not be for a while. But do know that whenever you do see this update, that means I am finished writing the rest of it, and I will post updates weekly after that until it finishes, so once I update again you all won't have to wait long for the rest. Thank you all for understanding.


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